Bernard, Lynnette - Laurie's Loves [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (30 page)

“Nikki,” she gasped, unable to stop the tears that finally fell free. “I’m so sorry.” She climbed up to lie beside her friend and held her gently in her arms.

“Oh stop,” Nikki told her dismissively. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for what Pigface did,” she whispered against the side of Laurie’s face. She turned then and faced Alexander and Butler, smiling weakly at their concerned expressions. “I hope you guys kicked his ass.”

Alexander laughed despite his worries, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. “We didn’t have a chance. Our queen took care of him.”

Nikki’s gaze flew back to Laurie, causing her to groan in pain at the sudden movement. “Really?” she asked, stunned. She turned back and saw both Alexander and Butler nodding and smiling. Facing her friend, this time slowly so the room wouldn’t spin, she reached up and pulled at Laurie’s hair gently. “You go, girl.”

Laurie smiled, unable to keep herself from enjoying her friend. “Nikki, I’m so sorry Patrick hurt you. I promise you, you will never have to protect me again.”

Nikki looked at Laurie, her eyes squinting as she tried to understand what her friend was telling her. “I know that,” she said finally. “You have two hotties that can do that now.” She smiled and looked at the two men who stood beside the bed. “Jace and Jackson I presume?”

Alexander and Butler both growled at her words. They did not like the fact that she had called their alpha and beta hotties. And, hell no, she was not going to touch them! She belonged to them.

Jace took Nikki’s outstretched hand, shaking it quickly and allowing Jackson to do the same before they both stepped back and bowed to their lieutenants, respectfully acknowledging their claim on the woman. “We’ll leave you to rest,” Jace told her quietly. “Thank you for helping our mate. Come here, Laurie. Let’s leave Nikki to heal.”

“I’m going to stay with her,” Laurie told him determinedly, her voice steady.

“Someone does need to stay with her through the night,” Doc spoke up. “She should be woken up every hour to make sure she’s lucid. It’s common practice for concussions,” he explained quickly when he saw the panic on Alexander’s and Butler’s faces.

“We’ll be here with her,” Butler spoke up, looking down at the adorable woman he already had a strong connection with.

“Hey, where am I?” Nikki asked groggily, realizing that she didn’t recognize the room.

“You’re in our suite,” Alexander told her, his voice gruff with emotion. “You will stay here with us.”

Nikki smiled and closed her eyes. “Okay,” she whispered as she settled back into the softness of the bed. “But don’t expect anything from me. I have a headache.”

Both men laughed despite their worry. Looking at Laurie, Alexander was relieved to see her smile as she looked down at her friend. Laurie was quiet for a moment then turned to look up at them, her eyes wide with emotion.

“Don’t hurt her, okay?” she whispered. “She’s been through a lot in her life. I don’t think she can handle any more pain.”

Both men nodded and watched as Laurie got up from the bed and stood silently beside it, obviously trying to come to a decision. Her gaze went to Alexander and Butler and then back to her friend.

“Laurie?” Nikki whispered, never opening her eyes.

“What, honey?” Laurie asked, kneeling on the bed to lean closer to her friend.

“Do you smell that?”

Laurie hesitated, unable to find the words. “Smell what, Nikki?” she finally whispered, aware that the men in the room became instantly alert.

“I don’t know,” Nikki answered, her voice soft and weak. “I’ve never smelled anything like it before, but it smells wonderful.”

Laurie smiled and looked to Alexander and Butler, noting their wide grins at Nikki’s admission. She found herself relaxing at the thought that Nikki had finally found the two men who would love and cherish her for the rest of her life. “Yes, it does,” Laurie finally whispered. “Get some rest, honey. I’ll come back to check on you later.”

She leaned forward and kissed her friend’s forehead, then stepped back, turned, and walked out of the room. Jace and Jackson reached out to shake hands with their lieutenants, congratulating them on finding their one, before leaving to follow their mate.

* * * *

Laurie headed out through the kitchen to walk quickly across the deck and down the steps toward the home that Julia shared with her husbands. She was aware that Jace and Jackson followed her, but she didn’t have it in her to talk to them right then. She was humiliated and devastated that her friends had been hurt because of her.

The door to the beautiful log home opened before she even made it up the steps. Colin stood before her silently, his emotions raw. “Thank you for defending my wife, Laurie,” he spoke quietly, his voice choking with emotion.

Laurie ignored his thanks. She didn’t deserve it. She alone was responsible for Julia and Nikki being hurt. Her screwed-up life had caused them to be dragged into the pain that was such an intricate part of her existence. She had been crazy to think that she was through with it. She had been a fool to think that she deserved anything but the life of loneliness and abuse that she had come to accept.

“May I see her, please?” she asked, her voice calm and strong despite how she shook inside. She clamped down on the metal box she envisioned around herself, not allowing any emotions out or in. She refused to hurt anyone ever again.

Colin nodded and stepped back, allowing Laurie to enter their home and guiding her into the kitchen. Julia sat at the table, laughing, with Adrian kneeling before her holding a cold gel pack against the right side of her face.

“Stop it. I’m fine!” she told him, laughing as she pushed his hand away.

Adrian lowered the gel pack, placing it carefully on the table. He reached up and held his wife’s face gently between his large hands and drew her toward him, placing loving kisses across her bruised cheek before covering her lips with his own, gently licking at them until she opened to him and welcomed him inside. Her arms wound around his neck, and she leaned toward him, enjoying every moment of the kiss.

Laurie smiled at the love before her. Colin left her side and walked forward to kneel beside his triad mates, encircling them in his embrace and leaning his head in to rest against theirs. Julia pulled away from Adrian, giggling as she turned to kiss Colin just as sweetly. Laurie watched the triad, tears filling her eyes as they cuddled against each other, the men’s hands resting against Julia’s tummy to gently caress their baby growing inside of her. Her heart hurt to think that she might have been the reason for them to lose this if Patrick had fatally injured Julia or her baby. The metal box around her tightened even more.

“Are you all right, Julia?” Laurie finally was able to ask, her throat still tight with the tears she was trying to hold back.

Julia looked up and smiled at her. How she could look at her with such open joy after what she had caused was beyond her grasp. Didn’t she realize that she should not want to be anywhere near Laurie or her messed-up life?

Julia laughed and stood, drawing both men up to stand beside her. She stepped forward and walked toward Laurie, opening her arms and embracing her. “I’m fine,” she said with exasperation. “I’m not made of glass, you know,” she admonished them all. “Do I have to remind you that I’m a wolf that can fight with the best of you?”

“Yes, you can, honey,” Adrian admitted, having been on the receiving end of more than one of her fights. “But you shouldn’t be fighting now that our baby is growing inside of you.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “And don’t get mad at us for being overprotective. Just let us fuss.”

Colin leaned forward to kiss her neck before stepping back to avoid the hand that was swatting at him. He knew better than to coddle his wife, but he still enjoyed doing it and riling her up. It made for some hot nights of lovemaking.

“Go away, both of you, or you’ll be sleeping in the spare room tonight!”

Both men smiled as they took a step away from their wife. They would let her have her way for now. But after their alpha and beta and their mate left, they were going to love her until she screamed both their names. They flashed the picture of their intent into their wife’s head, and she turned to them, winking and nodding in acceptance. Seeing their immediate grins, she turned to face Laurie once again.

“Is Nikki all right?” she asked, concern evident in her voice.

Laurie nodded, her eyes filling with tears once again. “She’s awake. The doctor said she has a concussion, but she should be fine.”

“What about you?” Julia asked, her concerned gaze watching Jace and Jackson as they stood silently beside Laurie.

“I’m fine.” Laurie’s answer was clipped. She was not important. Her friends were. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay and tell you I’m sorry for what happened.”

Julia’s brow furrowed with confusion. “You don’t owe me an apology, Laurie. You’re not responsible for that man’s actions. Don’t you understand that?”

“Yes, I am.”

“No. You’re not.”

Laurie shrugged and stepped away. “I’ll let you rest,” she said quietly. There was no use arguing. She knew the truth. Leaning forward, she took her friend in her arms and hugged her gently. Turning, she walked away, aware that Jace and Jackson remained behind. She would expect them to make sure that a member of their pack was all right. That’s why they were good leaders. They truly cared.

* * * *

Laurie turned off the shower and slid open the glass enclosure. She was too tired to even jump when she saw both Jace and Jackson standing before her, each holding a towel, waiting for her. She looked at them silently, seeing the worry in their eyes. She couldn’t hurt them anymore.

Stepping out, she allowed them to wrap the towels around her body and her hair, not moving as they rubbed the cooling water from her body. Throwing the damp towels into the sink, they pulled the terrycloth robe from the back of the bathroom door and helped her into it, tying the belt loosely before turning her gently and leading her toward the bedroom.

Jace sat in the large wingback chair facing the fireplace, pulling her down to straddle his legs, facing him. Carefully pushing up the sleeve of her robe, he gently placed a cotton cloth around her wrist before wrapping a cold gel pack over the material and securing it carefully with the compression bandage Doc had given them. Throughout his ministrations, she sat as he had positioned her. Jace looked at Laurie with concern, noting how her eyes were devoid of emotion as she stared off, not really focusing on anything.

“You should feel better by tomorrow, Laurie,” Jace explained to her quietly. “Our claiming bites have changed your physiology. You’ll be able to heal faster, be healthier, and your lifespan has been expanded to match ours.”

Laurie barely acknowledged his words. She was aware that Jackson stood behind her, brushing the tangles out of her hair. A moment later, she heard the whir of the blow dryer and felt the heat of it against her hair and scalp as Jackson dried her hair. At another time she might have relished the spoiling but not now. She just wanted to sleep.

Jackson looked at Jace as his concern for their mate grew. He brushed her hair until it shined, loving the softness of it in his fingers. He wanted to pull back on it to tip their mate’s head back so he could take her lips in a sweet kiss, but he fought back the urge. He saw the way Jace gently caressed her arms and knew that he was fighting his own desire to hold her tightly against his chest and shield her from all the cruelty of the world.

Careful to make sure that his movements were slow and gentle, Jackson pulled her from Jace’s lap so that she stood before him. Guiding her slowly, he turned her toward their bed and settled her in the middle of it, toeing off his boots and climbing up to lie beside her. Jace did the same, and they gathered her gently against their bodies, not allowing one inch of space between them. She lay between them, unmoving. They could feel her body tensing and knew her mind was racing with thoughts and emotions. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t break through the barrier that kept them from her thoughts and feelings.